A Choice
by psycholinguist
Summary: Percy's mother has a life of her own; can Percy and his father accept that? It's my first story, so please be honest and review!


Camp Half-Blood

Percy looked on the horizon, as if trying to see the exact place where the sky met the sea. His mother had sent him to Camp Half-Blood for the summer as usual, but there was an unusual feeling of tension when they parted. It was exactly four years since he had gone missing from Camp Half-Blood. His friends and his girlfriend Annabeth, and a few others who he had not known, but became friends with later, had gone on a search for him and another exciting adventure ensued. He cracked open one of the Cokes he had bought off Travis and Connor Stoll, twin brothers of the Hermes cabin. Sighing, he heard the shifting of sand behind him, as if someone were walking slowly on the sand. He turned, but saw no one.

"Annabeth," Percy said, "I know you're there"

The air shimmered and there stood his girlfriend, with a slightly pouty look on her face, a baseball cap in her hand.

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked, slightly annoyed. She, of course, thought she was undetectable wearing her Yankees cap.

"Footsteps," he said simply, motioning for her to sit, "it's hard to walk soundlessly on the sand"

Grumbling to herself, Annabeth sat close to Percy, putting her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. She found him sitting on his towel, as usual, by the shore, with a brooding expression on his face and thought she should ask what was wrong.

Percy spoke first, in a staccato voice, as if unsure of himself, "Um, you know how my mom married Paul and stuff?"

Annabeth nodded, wondering what this could lead up to; she quickly thought of a few possible scenarios which could make him as uncomfortable and sad as this.

"Well, um, I- I'm going to-to be a, um," Percy stuttered, as if he were about to divulge a terrible truth. Annabeth looked at him impatiently, and he quickly spat out the truth. "I'm going to be a big brother soon."

Annabeth looked surprised, but pleasantly so. "That's great!" she exclaimed, already making plans for a baby shower for her favorite mortal. Aphrodite's cabin would certainly be involved.

Percy smiled briefly, but worry was etched onto his face. Annabeth caught onto his mood quickly and tried to think of a way to cheer him up. Poseidon, of course, could not be all too thrilled about the new arrival, and what it obviously meant, but he could not do anything to prevent mortals from being mortals. Annabeth assumed Percy felt the same way as his father, but his face was unreadable, like the sea recently.

"I'm worried that I might bring unwanted trouble to them if I visit them as often as I do." Percy mumbled, more to himself, but Annabeth understood. Her childhood of course had been riddled with issues such as this, going as far as running away to prevent monsters from attacking her family.

"I'm sure nothing will happen to them, if you're there you can protect them," Annabeth said, knowing it was futile to try to reach him through his dark reverie.

"Monsters attack on a nearly daily basis because I'm there, monsters will attack even more furiously because there will be an innocent baby in the building," Percy said pessimistically, as if he had given this a lot of thought.

Annabeth sighed; there was no possible way to cheer him up, but a part of her was impressed by his use of logic. All she could do was embrace him, and hope his dark mood ended soon. She missed her Seaweed- Brained boyfriend.

On Olympus

Poseidon sat on his throne, not listening to the "important" meeting Zeus had called for. He was too lost in thought about his much beloved Sally and her new baby. He was not married to her, he could not of course, but she was special. _A queen among women_ he had said to his son, and it was true, Sally Jackson would always be like royalty to him.

"Poseidon!"His brother, Zeus, exclaimed for the third time, "Would you be so kind as to listen! This is important you know!" Huffing impatiently, and glaring at him, Zeus continued with his "very important" explanation about the decreasing amount of blah, blah, blah… Poseidon could not keep his attention focused, and his emotions stirred waves on the sea. Poseidon was glad when Zeus called for a break five minutes later; he was not sure how much longer of the meeting he could stand. He thought he could visit Montauk briefly, and reminisce about the first time he met Sally.

"That would not be wise, and I would know," said Athena, startling Poseidon. She was the last person who he expected would console him. She was looking at him with a strange expression, almost pitying.

"I do not need your sympathy, Athena," Poseidon sighed, staring at the fountain behind her, "while I appreciate your concern, I am not seeking wise counsel."

"Wisdom may not always be sought after, but it is important to keep in mind," stated Athena, she was a little irked that Poseidon could not even deign to speak politely as he usually did, but she assumed he had cause enough. Poseidon, sighed heavily, and waves crashed onto the shore on Earth. He raised his eyes from the marble floor, and looked into Athena's stormy gray eyes.

"Sally Jackson will always be in my heart, even if it is not possible for me to be with her," he said softly; it was pain enough that she had married that first abusive man, but it was for Percy's safety and well-being, so Sally could not leave him. Now however, she was happy and carefree, with a strong hero for a son. He could not interfere with her happiness, as much as it hurt him, "I will not seek her, but I will not forget her either."

Athena merely looked at him, and then smiled. "Perhaps you are not the immature womanizer you once were; having a son like Percy must have matured you a bit." With that, she turned on her heel and walked back into the throne/ conference room her daughter had designed.

Poseidon was not sure whether he was just insulted or not, but he shook his head and followed her. The meeting was back on, and he could focus now.


End file.
